The New England Patriots are entering the 2020 season without Tom Brady as the starting quarterback for the first time since 2001.
As if that change were not momentous enough, the Patriots (and the rest of the NFL) have to grapple with the inability to organize workouts amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But Patriots safety Devin McCourty said the team is building chemistry and adjusting to “life without Tom” by holding virtual meetings.
Via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk:
“One of the biggest things we have to do as a team, and as players individually, is move on, lock in, and get focused on life without Tom,” McCourty said. “Not just to harp on it, and talk about it, but to actually move on and try to prepare. I think the virtual meetings have been good for us to start that process.”
McCourty is sure to play a vital leadership role this season.
The Patriots re-signed McCourty to a two-year deal in free agency, keeping their elite secondary mostly intact and establishing a sense of normalcy on the defensive side of the ball.
Of course, given Brady's departure, this season will be anything but normal for Patriots fans.
Former fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham looks like the man most likely to start at quarterback, and McCourty himself has lauded Stidham's professionalism as he prepares to lead the team.
It would be easy to count New England out in 2020, but McCourty and Co. will be motivated to prove they can win without Brady under center.
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